Voters in Switzerland will decide in a referendum next month whether scientists should be allowed to extract stem cells from surplus” IVF embryos. A law to this effect was passed last year by the Swiss parliament. However, green and anti-abortion groups joined forces and collected enough signatures to force a referendum on the issue. The government and science organisations are campaigning to support a Yes vote. At the moment, only one scientist is doing research with human embryonic stem cells in Switzerland, but she imports her cells. Anita Holler, of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, says that “many researchers using adult stem cells say they are waiting until the new law is passed to work with embryonic stem cells.”

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